"We chose Huntsville because of the tremendous
financial growth in the area," said Philip Owen, managing director, in a
statement. "We have clients here and many of my financial representatives are
already working in this area."

Founded in 1857 and ranked No. 114
on the 2013 FORTUNE 500 list, Northwestern Mutual has 350 U.S. offices, $202
billion in assets and $25 billion in revenues, according to its website.

Hoping to capitalize on the
burgeoning downtown area, Owen said Huntsville was a natural fit for
Northwestern Mutual of Alabama.

"The downtown office location is convenient for
our clients in the medical and business community," he said. "We are excited
about growing the area."